Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time is the 47th episode of The WB's Charmed. Summary Phoebe comes across a young girl, Kate, who is being terrorized by trolls because she is protecting a fairy they seek to harm. Although Prue and Phoebe believe the young girl needs the help of The Charmed Ones, Piper goes on strike from helping innocents until The Powers That Be allow her and Leo to be together again. While Prue and Phoebe try to save Kate and the fairy from the trolls, Cole attempts to gain access to the Halliwell Manor to get The Book of Shadows. Plot Leo pulls Piper aside at P3. They kiss for the first time in a week and Leo says he has come to say goodbye; "they" have ordered him never to see her again. Leo's voice begins to echo, and then Piper's. He urges her to forget about him. He orbs away. Prue appears and urges Piper to wake up. Suddenly, Piper finds herself in her room, with Prue by her side--it was all a dream. Piper is still distraught over Leo being taken from her, and doesn't think "they" will ever let him come back. Prue consoles her. Prue calls Phoebe, who is driving Prue's car, and tells her about Piper's dream. Phoebe, distracted, almost hits a little girl in the street. The girl, Kate, is holding a small box, protecting it from unseen creatures. Suddenly, one of them scratches her on the arm. Phoebe comforts Kate and finds three claw marks on her arm. The sisters prepare some hot chocolate and cookies for Kate. Phoebe tries to get Kate's coat from the car but finds all the keys missing. Kate suggests that the fairies hid them, but catches herself--she's not supposed to talk about fairies. Kate's mother and stepfather arrive to take Kate home; she urges them to stay out of the door, because it's an "in-between"--a place where trolls live. Kate sees a troll, a small, grotesque creature, but none of the others do. Kate's mother and stepfather say that Kate has been troubled since her parents' divorce and has reverted to the "imaginary friend" stage. Phoebe believes Kate, but Piper is not so sure. Prue suggests they sleep on it. Kate's mother tucks Kate in. Kate wants the light left on, but her mother refuses. As she leaves, unseen figures begin to disturb the room. Prue and Phoebe find old watercolors of their imaginary friend, a fairy named Lilly, in the attic. Phoebe finds information on fairies and trolls in a children's book. They live in a parallel world separated by places between light and dark, or "tweens." Prue is skeptical at first; Phoebe found Kate in a street, not a tween. However, Phoebe recalls that she found Kate at midnight--when the world becomes one giant tween. The Book of Shadows is silent because it was written by and for adults. Just as Prue and Phoebe are heading out to Kate's place, Cole calls Phoebe and chats her up, and after a while says he sounds like Billy Appleby. Phoebe recognizes the name, the protagonist from Kill It Before It Dies. It turns out Cole is looking at his extensive dossier on Phoebe. Cole wants to meet at the manor, but Phoebe waves him off and asks to meet him at P3. Phoebe shows Piper the old drawings of Lily; she was Piper's imaginary friend as well. Prue tells Piper about Kate, but Piper isn't willing to do anything for "them" anymore and heads out. Phoebe thinks Piper is on strike. . Kate is drawing detailed pictures of Trolls when Prue and Phoebe visit. They ask Kate what she knows of fairies. She is protecting Thistle, a fairy princess, from the trolls, who want to rule the enchanted kingdom. Prue and Phoebe ask to see Thistle. Kate opens the box, but Prue and Phoebe still can't see her. Kate sprinkles Prue and Phoebe with fairy dust so they'll be innocent again. Phoebe and Prue give a silly giggle and now they see Thistle. Kate gives Prue the key to Thistle's box. The fairy dust is still affecting Prue and Phoebe that night at P3. Piper walks in to find Prue and Phoebe singing old children's songs as the patrons leave in droves. Piper demands to know what's going on. When Prue and Phoebe tell her they saw a fairy, Piper suspects something witchy and freezes the room. Prue and Phoebe tell Piper about the fairy dust. They try to dust Piper, to no avail. Prue and Phoebe try to get Piper to help them, but Piper orders her sisters into the parking lot to wait for a cab. As Prue and Phoebe walk out the door, they dodge several trolls. Prue and Phoebe find the manor an intimidating place with its many doorways. The doorbell rings and Cole is at the door. Puzzled at their behavior, he asks to use the bathroom. They send him to one. He locks the door and shimmers to the attic. Prue talks to Kate over a walkie-talkie and tell her that the dust didn't work on Piper. Kate says that Piper must not believe in fairies. Cole tries to take the Book, but it leaps off its stand and onto the floor. He turns into a grotesque, muscular demon and reaches for the book again, but it slides away from him. Prue and Phoebe think they hear a troll and enter the attic. They find demon-Cole still in the attic, but he shimmers away. The trolls attack, steal the key from Phoebe, and trip her and Prue down the stairs. The rough landing turns Prue and Phoebe back to normal again, and they hustle Cole out the door. ]] Prue checks the Book to put together a spell while Phoebe tries to reason with Piper. Trolls have invaded P3, and one of them trips Piper while she's carrying glasses. Phoebe tells Piper about the trolls. Piper relents and decides to help, but can't find her keys--the trolls hid them. She tries to get the spare out of the register, but a troll slams it on her hand. Disgusted, Piper asks her bartender, Abbey, to close up for her. Piper steps outside and trolls trip her up. In frustration, Piper looks up and rants at "them," demanding that they give Leo back. Midnight approaches and finally Piper comes to the manor. The three read a spell to allow them to see fairies and trolls. They go to Kate's house. Midnight strikes and the trolls attack in Kate's room. The sisters enter and are also beset by trolls; the spell didn't work the trolls grab Thistle's box, drag Kate under the bed and turn her into a fairy. They open Thistle's box and take Kate and Thistle. Piper blames herself for the failure of the spell. Phoebe tries to get a vision from the box. Piper talks out her feelings and the spell begins to work; they see a fairy in the window. The fairy leads the sisters into the woods, and then flies away when it sees a cave. The cave is "Troll Central"; Kate and Thistle are in a suspended cage and the trolls light a fire under them. The trolls spot them and attack. Phoebe levitates and Prue swats Phoebe toward the cage, rescuing Kate and Thistle. Prue and Piper leap the flames as Piper freezes them, and so they lure the trolls into the flames. Kate at first wants to stay a fairy, but Piper talks her into becoming human again. At the manor, the doorbell rings. No one is at the door, but the porch is covered with wreaths and garlands--apparently the fairies' way of thanking them. Piper reflects that marriage to a Whitelighter may be hard, that he may be gone for weeks at a time. She could not have lived with losing Kate, however, and is willing to give up Leo if it gets in the way of her Charmed duties. Leo orbs in and tells Piper that "they" have reconsidered; they are going to give Leo and Piper a chance as long as innocents aren't jeopardized. Phoebe calls Cole, meaning to leave a message, and finds him at his desk at 2 AM. They talk a bit, and then he sends his shadow to report to the Triad. Innocents #Kate #Thistle Evil beings #Trolls Evils Vanquished #Prue uses telekinesis to throw a troll into the fire. #Piper and Prue trick the trolls to run into the fire. Powers #Leo orbs himself out of P3 (in Piper's dream). #Cole dematerializes the book he has on the Halliwells. #Piper freezes P3. #Piper unfreezes P3. #Cole shimmers himself out of the manor bathroom. #Cole shimmers himself into the attic. #Belthazor shimmers himself out of the attic. #Piper freezes a troll in the cave. #Prue throws a troll in the cave. #Phoebe levitates herself in the cave. #Prue throws Phoebe across the cave. #Piper freezes the fire in the cave. #Leo orbs himself out of the manor. #Cole controls his shadow. Spells #The Charmed Ones cast the spell to See Trolls To See the Unseen * Prue combined the spell to To See What Can't Be Seen, Cultivate Innocence, and the Power of Three Spell. :In this tween time :this darkest hour, :We call upon this Sacred Power. :Three together, stand alone :command the unseen to be shown. :In innocence we search the skies, :enchanted are our new found eyes. Notes thumb|300px|right * This is the first episode in which Phoebe levitates on command rather than as a reflex. * This is the first episode in which the Book of Shadows is seen to have its full protection, where evil beings can't even touch it. * This is the second time Phoebe is regressed to acting like a child, the next time is in Cheaper by the Coven. * Darryl does not appear in this episode. * This is the first fantasy themed episode of the series. This would become more common starting with season 5, in which more fairytale beings are introduced. * This episode reveals that Piper is a Gemini and Phoebe is a Scorpio. * Actress Scout Taylor-Compton, who plays Thistle, later reprises her role in several episodes. However, she is never referred by name again. Coincidentally, she is also killed several times and returns without explanation. * On the file that Cole has about Phoebe it says one of her love interests is Rex Buckland, indicating a huge amount of knowledge amassed over time. * This is the first appearance of Belthazor, Cole's demonic alter ego. * In this episode it is said that fairies and trolls can't be seen by adults, even magical ones, only by children. Because the Book of Shadows was written by adults, it didn't have any entry on fairies or trolls. But in season 8 an entry on fairies is seen with a beautiful drawing and calligraphy. This could've been done by Phoebe as she has encountered fairies and we've seen her draw on occasion. It could also be that Paige made this entry as we learn that Paige is a really good artist in the season 4 episode "Muse to My Ears". Additionally, by season 5 the Charmed Ones were able to see fairies. * While at P3, Piper finds the Valentine's Day card that Leo gave her in "Animal Pragmatism". * In "The Honeymoon's Over", Phoebe says to herself, "I've got to get a cell phone" and indeed, she has gotten herself one by the start of this episode. * The Elders in this episode are referred to as The Powers That Be, the same name that is used to refer to the higher powers in the Buffyverse series Angel. * At the beginning Phoebe wears the same T-shirt she wore in the last flashback in Pre-Witched. * This episode marks the first appearance of Piper's assistant manager Abbey, who will try to kill Prue later in "Sight Unseen". * The movie "Inhabited" has a similar storyline to this one, about Trolls and Fairies. Episode Stills 303 a.jpg 303 b.jpg Quotes :Piper: (to the unseen trolls) Oh! You better run while you can you little rodents. (then, to the heavens) I bet you guys think this is real funny, don't ya? Haven't you taken enough from me? You have to send trolls to kick me while I'm down? I had a nice normal life, once. And you took that from me. You took my boyfriend, you took my life, the least you could do is leave me my freaking car keys. I am a good person. I'm a good witch, and damnit, I woulda made a great wife. And how dare you take that from me? I deserve... no, you know what? I demand that you send him back to me. You hear me? Right now. I'm going to stand in this very spot until you send Leo back to me. :Piper: Sorry I'm late. :Phoebe: Hey. Are you okay? :Piper: I thought this wasn't about me. :Prue: Well, it just... you don't seem like you're very open. :Piper: I'm as open as I'm gonna get in the next five minutes, so let's just do the damn spell. :All: In this tween time, in this darkest hour, we call upon the sacred power. Three together stand alone, command the unseen to be shown. In innocence we search the skies, enchanted are our new-found eyes. :Phoebe: You've really gotta lay off the rhyming, Prue. International Titles *'French:' Il Etait Une Fois... *'Polish:' Dawno, dawno temu *'Czech:' Bylo nebylo *'Hungarian:' Egyszer volt, hol nem volt *'Spanish (Spain):' Érase una vez... (Once Upon a Time...) *'Spanish (Latin America):' Había una vez (Once Upon a Time) *'Hebrew:' hayo haya *'Serbian:' Nekada davno *'Italian:' C'era una Volta (Once Upon a Time) *'German: '''Von Feen und Trollen ''(About Fairies and Trolls) Category:Episodes Category:Season 3